Prince Journals 3: Three's a Crowd for the Throne
by Lady-of-Nolava
Summary: Cal and Lia travelled to Egypt to find his longlost sister Cleo. But MItchell schemes to marry Cleo for the throne. Katrina, Amelia's mother, married Uncle Roy to continue her plots. Amelia is still sore from losing her place as crown princess to Lia...
1. Chapter 1

Wednesday, Atlantean Royal Palace

"You ready, your highness?" Pollo asked as we fastened our seatbelts. It had took us an hour to get packed and move into our new-ly assembled private airplyer, which was as big as a jet, and move silently and fast. We had told Uncle Roy that we were going to Paris for our honeymoon. Haha, bet he didn't see that one coming.

"So, Cal, what do you feel about finding a long-lost sister? And being a married man?" Lia teased.

"How do _you_ feel about finding a long-lost sister-in-law? And being a married woman, Lia?" I retorted.

Lia stuck out her tongue at me. "Bleurgh. I feel like myself. As long as you stick your hands to yourself, I'll be alright."

"Like I wanted to touch you," I said, ducking away as Lia began swatting at me with a newspaper.

"Hey, you two, cut it out. The pilots need concentration," Pollo said. We said sorry and we resumed talking.

"What'll you do when you _do _find her? Your sister, I mean. What do you think she'll be like?" Lia asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Duh, blonde and blue-eyed, like me. Maybe she's smart and beautiful, too. I hope we'll hit it off instantly." I quickly glanced out the window. How can I tell Lia that I wasn't sure what to do when I do see her? I never even knew I had a sister, much less know her name or how she looks like.

"You're right, you're pretty hard to hit off instantly," Lia said, trying to lighten the mood. I smiled gratefully at her. Trust me to get myself such a good and understanding wife! Not to mention a feisty, strong one as well.

We spent the rest of the time watching a movie, _Corpse Bride_. One of my favourites. We both sniffed at the end. And then we're there.

I gazed in wonder at the tall pyramids that rose out of the horizon, directly into the setting sun. OK, the midday sun. "Wow, this place rocks," I whispered.

"You bet," Lia said.

We got out of the plane and showed an Egyptian customs officer our passports and reason of stay. The guy seemed awe that the alleged 'son of Poseidon and Marduk' was coming to Egypt. "Yes, sirs, I go fetch Prime Minister." He scurried away. Minutes later he returned with a impossibly tall and thin man.

"Good afternoon. I extend to you the warmest welcome in Egypt, your Highness of Atlantis. Let my men escort you to your royal suite.

I am Emhotip. Should you want me to call the reporters from Egypt?" He said, extending a hand.

I took it. Pollo said coolly, "No, thank you, there is no need to announce our arrival. The crown prince and princess came here for their honeymoon, and do not wish to be disturbed."

Emhotip held his steely gaze on Pollo. "Yet from my sources, I heard that they will be going to Paris."

"Well, you know, it's a secret rendezvous, here. We're just giving them a false clue as we do not want them informed of our honeymoon plans. We don't want guards lurking around everywhere. Just the two of us in a nice secluded place, like Egypt," Lia said, managing to sound glitzy enough to make Emhotip back away.

"No, I do not know. Nevertheless, you must stay in our palace in Alexandria, the only remaining settlement from two thousand years ago," Emhotip said.

We moved there in a limousine, which was somehow hired for me. We entered for a honeymoon suite.

"I've never been to a honeymoon suite in Egypt before," Lia whispered, sounding excited. "They say it's got Jacuzzis, and a balcony, and mini-bar and room service!"

"Isn't that like Atlantis' honeymoon suites?" I asked.

"Well, things seem different here. Besides, I'll actually get to see the pyramids, and the Sphinx. Atlantians are much more pratical, in that they don't care about building mausoleums for the dead, they just cremate them to save time and space," Lia said. "And their temples! Must see the temples too!"

"Cool. I heard that's where Alexander the Great went for an oracle. Maybe I should pay a visit to the Great One, too," I joked.

So off we went, on a honeymoon tour around the temples. Beautiful hieroglyphs covered the walls. Maybe we'll even see a mummy! Like in that movie _The Mummy_, and maybe some canopic jars! Statues of Egyptian gods were everywhere: Anubis, Aten, Bes, Hathor, Horus, Isis, Osiris, Ptah (seriously! It sounds like a snort!), Ra, and Thoth.

We headed over to the god Ra, since he's like, the most important of all gods. A head-priest came over. Lia and I eyed him curiously, wondering if he harbours any love for any princesses. Gulp! What if he went after Lia! Her name's _Alexandria_! Everybody knows it's related to Egypt!

"Good afternoon, your highness. What would you like to see?" he asked.

"How about where can we find a girl? She's a daughter of Poseidon and Marduk, just like him," Lia said.

I scowled. 'Son of Poseidon and Marduk'? No way! "Yeah, where

can we find her? And is Lia also a descendent of the gods too?" I asked, getting back at Lia.

The priest raised his hand. "One at a time, please. You, princess of Atlantis, come sit down." He patted at a chair next to a altar. Lia sat down. He took her hand and closed his eyes, muttering nonsensical words. Maybe they're in Egyptian?

Then he let go of Lia's hand as though it was burning him, and gasped, "You! She of the Dead, Nephthys, Lady of the Mansion!" With that, he fell into a dead swoon.


	2. Chapter 2

_Wednesday, Atlantean Royal Palace_

_I'm a what? "What's going on?" I asked. Cal shrugged. _

_"Dunno, better get going. This could get messy." He pulled me by the hand until the doorway. Suddenly, a pretty blonde girl stepped in front of us._

_She looked just like Heidi Klum. Blonde tresses, gorgeous blue eyes, lithe body… "What the hell did you do to my father?" she demanded._

_"Your father?" Cal's body slumped. I guess maybe all blondes are like Amelia, proud jerks. "I…I thought you're an orphan."_

_"Of course I will be if you killed him!" she yelled._

_"He just collapsed when he read my palm, if you mst know. Said something like Nephthys of the Dead," I said._

_The girl frowned. "Nephthys?" Then she looked at me and gasped._

_"Oh no. Do I have a plaque declaring me a weirdo, or something?" I said._

_"No. I remember reading from somewhere that Egyptians fear the coming of Nephthys. She is said to usurp the throne of Undead from Anubis. The priests who buried her burned her Book of the Dead so she can't come back. But how can it be you?" Cal wondered._

_Um, going to Egypt on a mission to find my fiancé's long-lost sister and then being told that I was a fearsome monster of the Dead is not my idea of a honeymoon. "But I'm not evil. I'm just a normal girl," I said. "You! Who are you?"_

_The girl scowled. "Cleopatra Alexandria."_

_"Alexandria…" Cal looked at me. "Isn't that your…"_

_"Isn't that her what?" Cleopatra asked._

_"My name's Lia Alexandria," I said._

_Cal was quiet. "Are you…are you adopted? Found? Abandoned?" he asked._

_"Yes, what's your problem?" Cleopatra hissed._

_"I'm the Prince of Atlantis, and I'm here looking for a long-lost sister, about your age. I'm guessing that normal Egyptians don't have blonde hair and blue eyes?" Cal said._

_Cleopatra frowned. "You're right. My father adopted me because he said my flowing golden hair is a sign of the daughter of Ra and Isis. Call me Cleo, and what's your name?" _

_"Cal. So we're siblings, huh?" Cal asked. He reached for his portable phone. "I'll just call Pollo and we can get the hell outta here, and go to our real honeymoon."_

_Wait, my father." Cleo ran back to her father's side. She shook _

_him and called out for help when he did not stir. The temple was eerily deserted. Where have all the tourists gone?_

_ "Father! Help, help!" Cleo cried. She glared up at me. "You, you did this to him. And my 'brother' just married the spawn of satan! Go away!"_

_"Nobody's going anywhere," said a thoughtful male voice. Cal and I looked up and saw a familiar figure. Mitchell. And behind him were some Egyptian thugs, who looked like pirates. Anyway, they were holding guns. And they were fixed on Cal and me._

_"Mitchell! What are you doing! This is a direct violation of our protocol, during the terms which you cannot harm the successor of the ruler of Atlantis and get away with it. As King Michael's advocate, I can sue you with charges of felony—" I began when one of the thugs pointed the gun to my head._

_"Shut up, big-mouth. Or you die,." He hissed. Nobody spoke. A vein throbbed in Cal's forehead as he struggled to be cool about my well-being. Cleo just looked shocked._

_"Alright, Mitchell. I'm sure we can negotiate and come to terms with it. I'll give you anything you want, except the crown of Atlantis and our lives," Cal spoke in a calm voice._

_Mitchell smirked. "This is just what I wanted to hear." He pointed a finger at Cleo, who's pretty eyes widened in fear. "I just want her hand-in-marriage. To be the Prince-in-law of Atlantis. It's good enough for me. Or your lives."_

_I gasped, and Cal abandoned his tranquil cover He sagged to the floor as he realized what Mitchell was asking. Letting him marry Cleo would mean putting Uncle Roy as Father-of-the-King. And that gives him a legitimate excuse if he wants to get rid of Cal and me. But Cal had barely met his sister. He doesn't want to give up his family, and yet he doesn't want to disappoint the people of Atlantis, for they hate the tyrannical Uncle Roy. What can he do?"_

_"And I'll be nice to my future brother-in-law. I'll give you seventy-two hours to consider your opinions. By five pm eastern time sharp, you must make a decision," Mitchell intoned. And he signaled to his thugs. Tie them up and keep them in one of the basements of this big temple. It's big enough that nobody will find them._

_As we were dragged towards the hidden basements of the temple, I could feel my vision getting darker. Where is Pollo?_


	3. Chapter 3

Thursday, Egypt

"Hey, you alright?" I mumbled to Lia. It had been several hours since we were locked up in the basement. I can't see my watch as my hands are tied behind my back. Lia had been knocked unconscious by one of the thugs. I could feel my blood surging fiercely at the thought of them manhandling Lia like that.

"Huh? I'm peachy, just peachy. No, I mean, I'm hungry, and would like a peach…Well actually, any food will do. Better yet, I want to go home." Lia sobbed. I blinked. She's not making sense.

"Well, I think it's like, noon already. And we haven't had lunch yet… But where's Pollo? Do you think they did anything to him?" I asked.

Lia shivered in her binds. I think she's hallucinating. "I don't know. All I know is that I'm hungry, tired, and thirsty. I don't want to die, Cal."

I tried not to think about it. "They won't kill you. They're going to need my approval in the marriage with Cleo."

"They don't need me, Cal. I'm just your fiancée. "

"Hey! If they kill you I will never let Cleo marry Mitchell! Please, have faith and hope!" I cried.

Lia laughed, mirthlessly. I think she's hallucinating. "To whom? Jesus? Poseidon? Nephthys? Oh no, Cal. They're all gone. All gone."

I shivered. She sounds so hopeless, so dead. Suddenly a voice rang out, "Do, I'm still left here."

I started. "Who's there?"

"I'm one of the gods of Egypt. Nephthys. I came…for you." A dark figure swept out of the shadows, and crawled towards us.

"Keep away! She's not dead yet!" I shook my head, trying to get my cross necklace out to ward off the voice.

"It's OK, I'm not here to take your lifes. I'm here to help you." The shadow materialized into a pretty dark woman, with a dead dog wrapped around her neck. Her hair were made of snakes, and her face was purple, but she was still pretty.

"Why do you want to help us? Is it because I'm Poseidon's son?" I asked.

"That's' one of the reasons. The other is that Aurelia has the blood of my daughter. And, I fear that Cleopatra, she has been bewitched by that Atlantean boy. He must have been borrowing the strength from Anubis. Anubis is my nemesis, for we are vieing for the power over the dead. Every two centuries, we switch turns. Now is my turn, and yet Anubis is rebelling. He has broken our ancient pact, written in blood of ten virgins and the blood from the Son of Poseidon

and Marduk, and the blood from the Daughter of Ra and Isis. Which means you, King of Atlantis, and your wife." Nephthys explained.

"OK… But what does that have to do with Cleopatra?" I asked.

"Besides. Aurelia, Cleopatra is the only other person on earth with the blood of Ra and Isis, my mother. And Mitchell, he is your most direct blood relative. Maybe he is trying to reconstruct our pact, but fusing his bloodline with Cleopatra's, so he can remake the pact in his favour. We must stop him at all costs," Nephthys said.

"I…want…pizza," Lia gurgled, head rolling from side to side.

"Lia! Please, goddess, help her! We can't leave her like this! What's wrong with her?" I cried.

Nephthys nodded. "She's affected by the poison 'Gorgon's blood'. When the priest took her hand, he poked her with a needle soaked with anaesthetic stuff and Gorgon's blood. The Gorgon's blood, when met with royal blood, reacts violently. As sons of gods are privileged, it takes a few things to take them down. The priest is one of Anubis'. He took care of your sister in the hopes as he knew who he is, and wants her blood with that boy's blood to save his master. Luckily I have the antidote: Gorgon's blood."

I could not believe my ears. The antidote to a deadly poison is…more deadly poison? I watched hopefully as Nephthys took a needle, plunge it into a bottle of Gorgon's blood, and then pierce Lia in the temple. Lia immediately fainted, breathing heavily. Nephthys nodded in satisfaction. "She'll be coming around in ten minutes."

"You know, that's great, but we have to find our way out. Plus we also have to fend off some…Egyptian creatures," I said, pointing behind Nephthys. Nephthys turned, saw the growling animals, and sighed.

"Not again. Everytime I deal with Anubis, he always sends his henchmen to do the job. What does he think, that I, Nephthys, cannot kill his jackals, ravens, and baboons?"

I liked animals. I have a pet turtle. Dogs, birds, and cats are cute. And aren't jackals some sort of dog, ravens are birds, and baboons are furry as cats? Well, not these ones. These ones were growling, the jackal slashing his vicious jaws at us, like a crazy dog. The raven flying around and viciously tearing our chunks of my hair. The baboon clawing at my pants.

"Help!" I yelled, falling to the floor. Nephthys just stared at me, puzzled. "Help me! They're killing me, aaargh!"

"Don't you know how to use your powers? I mean, you _are _a son of Poseidon and Marduk. Just summon a wave or something, OK?" Nephthys asked.

Why are gods using modern phrases today? And that thing about my powers are lame. Nevertheless, I gritted my teeth, and shouted,

"Wave!" The jackal and baboon were swept away, the raven flying off. "Earthquake!" The wall collapsed and fell on the jackal, the baboon, and the raven. "Wasn't I great?" I boated as I slowly got up from the attack.

"That part about trapping the monsters were, but now we're trapped inside the basement. Your wall just blocked the doorway. Oh, and your wife is on the other side. So you better start thinking of a rescue mission, boy," Nephthys said calmly. "I'm the goddess of the dead, not of 'getting people out of trapped walls'."

Oh.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thursday, Egypt_

_I was just waking up when I discovered something. I am blocked from all sides by walls, and Cal is gone. Oh, and I'm suddenly unbound. I dreamt that Nephthys came and released my bonds. Well, too bad she didn't deliver the pizza._

_I got up and felt the walls. The solid. I gave them a push, but in my weakened condition I can barely push a cotton wall. I mean, I'm not a muscleman, but I'm not Cal Alfrenzo either. Nevertheless, I am hungry, tired, and felt like I just got back from the dead. And that's when I heard, "Psst."_

_I looked around. Cleo had arrived out of thin air, as though she was teleporting. "It's me. I'm here to save you. Where's Cal?" she asked, looking around. "Why is that wall here?"_

_"Wait… How did you do that? I thought that you were with Mitchell?" I asked. "I thought you were evil."_

_Cleo looked upset. "I was just acting along. I knew nothing bad would happen to you. Besides, Cal's my brother. I've been teleporting since I was twelve. It's just something I can do. Besides, Isis told me in a dream that I'm her daughter, so why not? I was in the hotel with guards outside __my room. I pretended to be in the shower, and then I teleported here. Where's Cal?"_

_"I don't know. I woke up and he's gone." I said._

_"Maybe he got his powers, and make that wall crash down? Come on, let me try teleporting us to him." Cleo took my hand. "I'm new at this. So I might get us in the wrong place. Alright, here goes."_

_I had a sensation of my molecules changing into light photons, and then back into me again. We're out of the wall, but there was still no sign of Cal. _

_The room where we are in now looks old. It is round, and smooth. We tried not to touch anything as there might be traps here._

_"You know, this look a lot like the torture chambers my 'father' told me about," Cleo said._

_"Torture chambers? Underground?" I asked._

_Cleo nodded. "It was a secret, but the temple had torture chambers for inquisitions. We must be in one of them now. It's abandoned for millenniums. Even my 'father' doesn't know where it is."_

_"Let's get out of here quick. There might still be traps left," I said._

_Cleo agreed and took hold of my hand. But when she tried to teleport, nothing happened._

_"What's wrong? Are your powers on the frizz?" I asked._

_"I don't know. Let's try. Stone." Cleo teleported a loose stone _

_from the wall into her hand. "Well, it's working."_

_"Then why aren't we out? Don't tell me we can only go in, not out. Is the chamber resilient to magic? So as to stop prisoners from getting out, you think?" I asked. "Can you tryteleporting Cal here?"_

_Cleo shook her head. "I can only teleport things and people I know where they are. Not Cal. Maybe we should just go on."_

_I looked doubtfully into the gloom. I could just make out three ways. "Great, which way do we go?" I asked._

_"Left?" Cleo hazarded._

_"Right?" I argued back._

_"Middle." We said at the same time. Laughing awkwardly and hand-in-hand, we inched cautiously forward. Cleo teleported her torch into her hand. _

_"At least we won't starve, as I can teleport food and water, toilet rolls, and stuff here." She said optimistically._

_"You mean, we're stuck here forever, right? And if we don't starve, we might die in traps." I said._

_"Honestly, don't be so grumpy. I don't know what Cal sees in you. I'm just trying to help. If I only teleported to Cal, it would be much easier. How many times must I tell you it's been thousands of years since the torture chamber was sealed? The traps must have fallen apart by now," Cleo shouted._

_"Shh! What if there's someone here? Alright then, go look for your darling brother if you love him so. That's why you betrayed him just now, right?" I glared at her. Cleo glared back. _

_While we were arguing, we didn't notice the weird colour of the floor beneath us. Because next thing I know, I had fallen into somewhere deep. Deeper than where I just fainted._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Four

Thursday, Egypt

I lost track of what time it was, trying out my new powers. I blew up the wall, piece by piece, while Nephthys lounged around, shouting instructions. Doing magic is cool. It feels like you just got an electric shock. A current flowed through me, analysing me. How many watts of power do each voltage of my zap got, anyway? OK, stop the puns.

I blew everything down, too excited to stop.

"Hey boy! Do you want to get yourself killed? The ceiling's gonna collapse? I told you to blow the wall down, not to blow up the whole basement!" Nephthys shouted.

"Sorry." I blushed and found my way to the other side. Lia is gone. All that remains is your footprints. And another set. And the two pairs mysteriously disappeared.

"OK, what do you think is going on, O You Of The Dead, Great Lady Of The Mansion?" I asked politely.

"Isn't it obvious? Who else has superpowers beside you, O Supernerd King Of Atlantis?" Nephthys mocked.

I blinked in annoyance. Nephthys is resembling more and more a Goth. Black hair. Nose ring. Go figure how an Egyptian goddess and a disgruntled teenager are so common. "Uh, who?"

"Your Royal Consort and your sister, that's who!" Nephthys sighed.

"Um, if your reasoning is like this… Why isn't Mitchell and Uncle Roy and Amelia or whatever have the same powers as us, since they're related to us?" I asked.

"Well, because they do not believe in the Old Powers anymore. Your Uncle Roy and cousin Mitchell just wants women and power and money. Amelia just want to look nice. She probably worships Madonna more than Isis," Nephthys concluded.

"But… I'm like, a Christian?" I asked.

"If you're doing what your god wants you to do, no matter who your god is, you will still get your powers. Poseidon is the god of the sea, earthquake, and horses. Marduk is the god of the sun. That means you have water powers, earth powers, light powers, and can shapeshift. Isis can heal people. She can make plants grow, make wind blow, make fire glow, make water flow. Ra has the power of light. Aurelia and Cleopatra both have those powers. But Cleopatra can teleport due to increased power of light, while Aurelia can control the souls of the dead due to my blood in her. Isis is my sister." Nephthys said.

"Well, why can't Ra, Isis, Poseidon, or Marduk help us? Why only you?" I asked.

Nephthys laughed humourlessly. "They couldn't care less about you. Though you have their blood, they swore vengeance on the

people of Atlantis, for scorning them and thinking science is more powerful. The gods thought they sank Atlantis."

"But that's not the case, is it? They were not _that _powerful. How come I am so powerful, then?" I asked.

Nephthys frowned. "I don't know, it must be the mutation of your modern genetics. Some chromosome threads have twisted together, giving you, Aurelia, and Cleopatra unthinkable powers. If Mitchell and Roy ever found out, they are going to use you for evil."

"Well, let's save them, then! Where are they?" I asked.

"I think they must be in the Forbidden Dungeons! If Cleopatra can teleport, she would long ago have found you by now. I left Aurelia some souls of the dead to tell her where we were. It was in the middle of ley lines, concentrating on a point where all magic lost their contact with the outer worlds. In other words, Aurelia and Cleopatra can't get out." Nephthys said.

"Well, hey, it's only some stinky dungeon. I'll come back with some grenades and blow it up," I smiled.

"It is also known as The Torture Chamber." Nephthy's next words chilled my blood to ice.


End file.
